Building Thoughtful Gaming Communities: Watching, Learning, and Holding the Line
I’ve spent most of my life in gaming communities — sometimes right in the middle of it all, sometimes watching quietly from the edges. Recently, I’ve been paying close attention to a group called Ghost Gaming.
I don’t know anyone there. They don’t know me. And frankly, they probably don’t care that I’m out here keeping an eye on them. But that’s the thing — I am watching. Not because I’m looking to tear anyone down, but because accountability matters, especially in gaming where a lot of smoke and mirrors can be sold as “community building.”
There’s a lot happening in gaming right now, and honestly, there’s a lot that I’m beefing with. Let’s start here:
Girl Gamers. Why are we still using this phrase? Are we running around saying “boy gamers” anywhere? No. It's ridiculous that the label even exists. It feels like a constant reminder that women are still seen as outsiders in a space we helped build.
Representation in Leadership. It’s great to champion women on the community side, but when you pull back the curtain and realize there are no women in leadership roles within the organization doing the championing? That’s where my blood starts to boil. You can’t market yourself as “empowering women in gaming” and not actually have women helping run the show.
The Shortcut to Popularity. Watching a CEO talk about "simple" ways to make a game popular — by leaning into big influencers or using Discord — honestly made me want to jump out of my skin. Yeah, anyone can spin up a Discord server. That’s not the hard part. The hard part — the part that actually matters — is building a thoughtful community. One that’s nurtured, protected, and grown with intention.
Because here's the truth:
Anyone can make a free-to-play game.
Anyone can open a Discord server.
Not everyone can build a thoughtful community.
And if you don't nurture the people showing up for you, it won't matter how flashy your skins are or how many followers your influencers have.
I’ll die on this hill:
You build thoughtful communities by putting people first — not profit.
That’s how you create something that lasts. That’s how you make something real. The greatest communities aren’t the ones with the biggest numbers — they’re the ones with the deepest connections.
Now, to be clear — I’m not here to throw Ghost Gaming under the bus. I’ve seen some positive things from Ghost Gaming, especially at the local level (and credit where it’s due — they are trying to elevate women, even if the language still feels outdated), I’ll keep watching. I'll keep paying attention. Because if you're going to talk the talk about community, diversity, and inclusion — you better walk the walk, too.
In fact, recently, I noticed they added two “mature gamers” to their roster — one labeled a "grandpa" and another a "grandma."
It’s a small step, but a meaningful one. I don’t know exactly what they’re planning yet, but it’s encouraging to see someone finally broadening the picture of who belongs in gaming.
Gaming has already been tarnished by greed and performative marketing. We don’t need more of that.
We need communities built with care — small, intentional, fierce, and real.
Still, there’s a gap that remains — and it’s not a Ghost Gaming problem.
It’s a gaming industry problem.
The middle — Gen X gamers, 40+ gamers — we’re often left out.
We’re not included in the marketing strategies. We’re not reflected in the skins or the community celebrations.
When games lean heavily into K-pop aesthetics, anime trends, and microtransaction models built for a younger, fast-spending audience (looking at you, Overwatch 2), it becomes clear:
They’re chasing short-term hype, not long-term community health.
In an economy where people are struggling to pay basic bills, it’s tone-deaf to expect players to shell out $100+ for a few skins.
If you want people to stay loyal to your game — if you want your community to last — it has to go deeper than flashy cosmetics.
It has to go back to nurturing the players who built your foundation in the first place.
Community isn't something you buy.
Community is something you build — something you nurture — something you protect.
That’s what I believe in.
That’s what I fight for.
And that's what I’ll continue to call out — even if it’s just me and my "little pea brain" doing the watching.
And speaking of gaming companies forgetting their roots... stay tuned. I’ve got a lot to say about that too.
These are images from the World of Warcraft events: The Gnome Run and The Troll Run that supported causes like: The Pink Fund, Cleveland Clinic and The Trevor Project.
Examples of how nurtured, engaged communities can make real world difference, and make you feel good about doing it, in the process.
